Crimson Slaughter
The Crimson Slaughter is a Renegade warband of Chaos Space Marines dedicated to the service of the Blood God Khorne. Originally they were a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter of an unknown Founding known as the Crimson Sabres, but they eventually slid into heresy and damnation during the 41st Millennium. Warband History Once known as the Crimson Sabres, a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter, the Crimson Slaughter began their descent into heresy on the world of Umidia in the 41st Millennium. The planet's inhabitants were, according to the Crimson Sabres, attempting to summon a powerful daemon of the Blood God Khorne. In their rush to judgment, the Crimson Sabres purged the entire planet of life. This led to them being declared Renegades by the Inquisition and the High Lords of Terra due to signs of continued psychological instability and over-zealous prosecution of their campaigns. As punishment (or possibly reward) for the bloody annihilation of his worshipers, Khorne cursed the Crimson Sabres to be haunted by the voices of those they had slain. Subsequent bloodshed could silence the voices, but only for a short time. Sevastus Kranon, the Chapter Master of the Crimson Sabres, led his warriors into the Eye of Terror to slaughter Traitors instead of spilling the blood of innocents, thereby gaining a temporary respite. Within the Eye of Terror, the Crimson Sabres were finally fully corrupted by Chaos and were remade as the Crimson Slaughter. They were blessed with many gifts to enhance their combat prowess. Sevastus Kranon, reborn as the Chaos Lord Kranon the Relentless, learned of the mystical Chaotic artefact known as the Hellfire Stone and led his warriors in search of it. The Hellfire Stone was a powerful Chaos artefact which, once anointed with the blood of a Loyalist Space Marine, would open a gateway to the Warp and allow a powerful Daemon of Khorne to enter realspace from the Warp. The Crimson Slaughter were also accompanied by the fearsome Helbrute, Mortis Metalikus, who had once been Sevarion Kranon, the actual biological brother of Sevastus. After refusing to give in to the blood frenzy that claimed his Chapter, he was imprisoned by his brother and driven mad before finally being entombed within the metal sarcophagus of a Helbrute. Joining forces with a more powerful Traitor Legion in the midst of a Black Crusade, the Crimson Slaughter rampaged across the southern rim of the galaxy. When the world of Stern’s Remembrance came under attack by the Forces of Chaos, it drew the attention of the the 5th Company of the Dark Angels. The 5th Company's Grand Master Zadakiel lead a squad of the Chapter’s deadliest warriors, the Terminators of the Deathwing, to purge the Traitors and their dark master. But a greater plan was in action, and it fell to the Deathwing's Sergeant Balthasar to defend his commander from the machinations of the Ruinous Powers. Unfortunately, many valiant Loyalist Astartes were killed, including their commander Zadakiel. This earned the Crimson Slaughter the undying enmity and wrath of the Dark Angels. The newly-ascended 5th Company Grand Master Balthasar vowed to hunt down the Renegades and bring their heads back to The Rock, the spaceborne Fortress-Monastery of the Dark Angels. The 5th Company was also accompanied in this task by members of the elite 1st Company, the Deathwing, members of the 2nd Company, the Ravenwing, and a Librarian by the name of Turmiel. The hunt for these Renegade Space Marines took place across a dozen worlds, until the Crimson Slaughter were finally tracked to the world of Bane's Landing where they were confronted by the Dark Angels 5th Company once again. Kranon the Relentless, the evil lord of the Crimson Slaughter, sought to use the Hellfire Stone to summon forth his daemonic masters and usher in an age of darkness. As the Dark Angels raced to stop him, a mighty conflict between the loyal Balthasar and the Traitor Kranon was in the offing. Notable Campaigns *'Bane's Landing (884.999.M41)' - The Dark Angels' 5th Company battled elements of the Crimson Slaughter warband on the world of Bane's Landing. The Crimson Slaughter were on the planet seeking the Hellfire Stone, a powerful Chaos artefact which, once anointed with the blood of a Loyalist Space Marine, would open a gateway to the Warp and allow a powerful Daemon of Khorne to enter realspace from the Warp. However, it appears that Kranon the Relentless seeks the artefact as part of a scheme to release his Chapter from their bloodthirsty curse and silence the voices in his head once and for all. Notable Members of the Crimson Slaughter *'Kranon the Relentless' - Once known as Sevastus Kranon, Kranon the Relentless is the current Chapter Master of the Crimson Slaughter warband of Chaos Space Marines. Kranon was known to be militant and brutal even during the days when he was still a loyal servant to the Emperor as the Chapter Master of the Crimson Sabres Chapter. Upon leading his warband into self-imposed exile in the Eye of Terror, Sevastus was corrupted by the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. Renaming himself Kranon the Relentless, he has driven himself to commit more and more bloody and vile acts in an attempt to silent the maddening voices that plague him, the result of a curse from Khorne. *'Mortis Metalikus' - Mortis Metalikus is the name given to a Hellbrute of the Crimson Slaughter. Formerly known as Sevarion Kranon, he was the birth brother of Sevastus Kranon, the Chapter Master of the Crimson Sabres. Refusing to give into the bloodthirst that possessed his fellow Battle-Brothers during the massacre of Umidia, Sevarion was imprisoned by his brother for his disobedience. However the curse his entire Chapter came under from Khorne eventually drove this once noble soul completely mad during his confinement. Eventually, Sevarion was imprisoned within the cold cybernetic shell of a Hellbrute, a variant form of a Chaos Dreadnought. He is now consumed by murderous rage and grotesquely corrupted by the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. Warband Appearance Warband Colours The Chaos Space Marines of the Crimson Slaughter wear dark red Power Armour with golden trim. Warband Badge The badge of the Crimson Slaughter is a crowned skull centred on a crimson background. The crown is a debased Iron Halo, a common symbol used by Loyalist Space Marine Chapters. Sources *''Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook'' (6th Edition), pp. 176, 299 *''White Dwarf 392, pp. 30-35 *''White Dwarf ''393, "Dark Vengeance", pp. 22-35, 40-65 *''Ascension of Balthasar (Audio Drama) by CZ Dunn *''Dark Vengeance'' (Novel) by CZ Dunn Gallery File:Kranon_the_Relentless1.jpg|Kranon the Relentless, Chaos Lord of the Crimson Slaughter DVChosenUnit.jpg|Squad of Crimson Slaughter Chaos Space Marines CS Helbrute2.jpg|The Helbrute Mortis Metalikus Helbrute.jpg|The Helbrute Mortis Metalikus in combat Category:C Category:Chaos Category:Chaos Space Marines Category:Chaos Space Marine Legions Category:Renegade Space Marine Chapters